What Is the Difference Between a Handmade and Mass-Produced Corset?

Each factory will have their own process for mass production. Generally, a factory will have one person sewing the exact same part of a garment over and over. For a t-shirt, this might be setting the armhole, or sewing the side seam, or applying the finish on a crew-neck. Thus, one proposed definition for a handmade garment is that the entire piece was sewn by one person, as opposed to on an assembly line. Some may also expand this definition to include the fact that each piece is executed one at a time.

There aren’t very many companies mass producing corsets, but the number of independent corsetieres in the world can now be measured in dozens if not hundreds. These independent corsetieres often work as a one-woman enterprise: fielding all sales, design, fitting, cutting, stitching, quality control, shipping, and customer service. A rare few have advanced to the point where they have hired an assistant or three. The first thing many corsetmakers do when hiring an assistant is training them to take over their least favorite tasks. This may mean setting grommets or cutting out fabric. What does that mean for the handmade definition? All, or the majority, of the sewing is likely to have been executed by the same person, but not all the work for the corset. The skill sets of cutting fabric and sewing garments are very different. If multiple orders are due around the same time, it only makes sense to first pattern then cut them all at once, stitch the bodies in tandem (if the same thread colors are used), then bone, bind, grommet, lace.

On-site production means the product designer (in this case, corsetiere) is on-hand while most of the work is being performed. If there’s any question of the intended design, or the quality of a new batch of components, the communication channels are much shorter. A person who is deeply and personally invested in the quality of the product is supervising its construction.

A factory worker is hired for their efficiency. Generally, they are very fast and, hopefully, sew very cleanly.A corsetmaking artisan may not be as fast as a production stitcher, but they have a deeper understanding of the process that exhibits itself with myriad tiny touches: the way a seam is clipped (to release tension/bulk), the direction in which they sew the seams, the understanding that to change any single component may require further changes to construction.

Naturally, the main advantage to mass manufacturing is that it’s cheaper. When you’re buying 1,000 yards of fabric, you get a much better price than buying one. And when you’re making hundreds of the same corset, it’s more efficient to churn them out in huge batches than one at a time.

What of pure construction quality? Is a handmade corset inherently better sewn than a factory made one? That depends entirely on the corsetiere and the factories being compared. Some mass-produced brands may have much higher standards than others. Some independent corsetieres may excel at fit more so than construction, or still be working to find their ideal combination of materials.

A Lady in Red Bra & Corset and Red Panties

Each brand will define their own “QC” (quality control) standards. This includes the margin of error for accuracy of the waist measurement, straightness of stitching, evenness of grommets and waist tape, etc.Depending on the factory and their QC process, mass production could mean a result that is exceptionally uniform, or wildly inconsistent.

Corsets are expensive because it takes a lot of work to make them. Supporting handmade corsetry is to support innovation and local craftsmanship as well as a reduced carbon footprint.

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